Last week I attended a colorful event out here in Albuquerque, New Mexico !
This particular event put a spotlight on the folks in my region who worked on
“The Lone Ranger” (Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films).

Attendees watched a special advance screening at Albuquerque’s Century Rio
24, and several members of the cast and crew mingled in the lobby ! It was
indeed a lovely (albeit hot) Southwest summer evening, with various notable
personalities coming out in full force ! There were plenty of awesome people
around (a multitude of actors, writers and politicians).

All of this exciting stuff was going on because “The Lone Ranger” was mostly
filmed out here in “The Land of Enchantment” !!! Now, I must be somewhat
cautious with my wording… Little kids start to cry when I say, “Did you hear
that ‘The Lone Ranger’ was shot in New Mexico ?” Ha-ha !!!

Funny business aside, I almost went to this event wearing my cowboy hat. I
do look rather spiffyin it!!! However, after careful thought, I opted to leave
the hat home. I would hate to be mistaken for Armie Hammer ! It would be
an honest mixup. We are both tall, young AND handsome. Armie is the guy
portraying the “Lone Ranger”, in case you were wondering.

Wearing my black cap instead, I braved the crowd. I still somehow managed
to get mistaken for a celebrity. A dude asked me, “Mr. Rooney, can I please
have your autograph ?” I ended up doin’ the right thing ! I signed his “Andy
Hardy” DVD collection and sent him on his way. But seriously folks…

As the evening progressed, I managed to talk to a very interesting lady. Her
name is LaDonna Harris, and she’s part of the Comanche Tribe. She recently
adopted Johnny Depp in a special Comanche ceremony ! Harris is thrilled to
have Depp as a son, and she said, “Johnny is an amazing individual and he’s
happy to be part of the family”.

After conversing with LaDonna, I crossed paths with actor Jason Hill ! He is a
personable fellow, and he plays one of the mob members in the film. When I
asked him what he liked most about working on the production, he said, “It’s
the times Armie Hammer was on the set that I will remember. When he was
there, he had us laughing. He’s got a great sense of humor.”

~

Jason Hill

~

The movie itself is a blast. An ambitious adventure, a compelling Western and
an uproarious buddy comedy all rolled into one ! The New Mexico landscape is
indeed well-suited for this epic film. Director Gore Verbinski utilizes his totally
talented cast perfectly… Depp effectively presents “Tonto” as much more than
a sidekick, and his chemistry with Hammer is wonderful.

Hop up on your horse and head on over to see “The Lone Ranger” today !!!